Dentaltown January 2018 - 42

message board

Disadvantages are:
Relatively high concentration of dentists in the area.
The building is in a medical complex, not highly visible with next to no foot traffic.
Having to learn the office side of the practice so I can hire and guide the new office manager.
I know it sounds like a terrible reason to own. I just don't see any other way out of my situation and it would give me a lot more control over my life once I've built it up and that sounds
like a goal worth working towards. ■
-

10/16/2017

RubinsteinDDS
Member Since: 08/15/07
Post: 28 of 45

It doesn't sound like a terrible reason to own actually. It sounds like a good opportunity.
With a little effort, education and determination you should be able to build it up significantly.
At which point you could keep it or sell it and move elsewhere ... ■

10/16/2017

drpainlus
Member Since: 03/01/04
Post: 31 of 45

I think you're looking at an awesome opportunity.
First thing you can do right now is add more days at your dad's office. Two things will
happen. It will give you the opportunity to see the current patients in the practice if they need
to come in on a day your dad's not there. And the added hours have the potential to grow the
practice with minimal cost. ■
10/16/2017

mlau
Member Since: 11/08/08
Post: 32 of 45

What days does he not work? In my area, I'm one of maybe three dentists that work on
Saturdays (which sucks, but helps drive new patient numbers.) My Fridays are also pretty
booked. Quite a few older dentists don't like Fridays too. I'd recommend adding a Friday/
Saturday/Monday on top of his three days. This will generate the most growth in my opinion.
Also, you may want to see what demographics you want. A simple website is a must-clean,
mobile optimized, doesn't need to be fancy, just lets patients know you exist. Facebook is okay,
not super essential, but can help. Good service and a smile are as helpful as word of mouth. Yelp
and Google are an extension of this. ■
10/16/2017

ddsmcd
Member Since: 07/31/13
Post: 34 of 45

Thank you all so much for all of the amazing advice and links to resources! It makes it all
feel more manageable knowing that there is this fantastic community that is willing to take the
time to advise a newbie like myself. I really appreciate it!
After hearing your advice I will focus my efforts on the following:
- Internal marketing to build up the practice.
- Improving the aesthetics of the office to help with new-patient retention.
- Studying the 30 day MBA videos.
- Changing my work hours to include nights and Saturdays to try to attract all those
commuters.
- Making lists of things I want to change and prioritize them and implement them slowly.
- Trying not to rock the boat too much in the beginning with the established patients and
staff.
The only thing I left off the list is the hiring of the new office manager. I feel like I need to
better understand how the front office works and in turn figure out how I want it to be in the
future. I'm still a complete novice in understanding insurance and what plans I will want to
take. I hear things from the senior associates I work with that things have changed for the worse
and keep telling me I'm "screwed" as a newer dentist. Can anyone recommend a comprehensive
resource to better understand the current insurance situation? ■
10/18/2017

JANUARY 2018 // dentaltown.com

http://www.dentaltown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown January 2018